Scott Douglas

Here’s the most important thing I learned while writing a book on running and mental health: In clinical studies, regular aerobic exercise is as effective as antidepressants in reducing symptoms of mild to moderate depression. And that’s not just because moving might help you get into shape and feel better about yourself. Exercise actually causes the same structural changes to the brain as antidepressants—neuroplasticity, or creating new neural pathways, and growth in the hippocampus, a part ...

The first book to explain how being a runner is a uniquely effective way to manage depression and anxiety.

Historical changes in the ways we cook and eat have dramatically altered public health.

Bee Wilson is the author of Consider the Fork, which documents the evolution of cooking and eating technology. In the book, Wilson describes many unintended consequences of new methods of or materials for cooking and eating. Here she talks about some of the health ramifications of such changes.

I was struck while reading your book by how changes in the instruments we use to cook and eat can have large-scal...

With his historic win at the 2014 Boston Marathon, Meb Keflezighi cemented his legacy as one of the great champions of long-distance running. Runners everywhere wanted to know how someone two weeks away from his 39th birthday, who had only the 15th best time going into the race, could defeat the best field in Boston Marathon history and become the first American man to win the race in 31 years.
Meb For Mortals describes in unprecedented detail how three-time Olympian Keflezighi prepares to ta...

Fun facts on how modern running shoes came to be.

"Getting out the door changes the narrative and creates momentum."

Scott Douglas

Apr 5 2018, 4:00pm

I once explained the lethargy of depression to my brother by asking him what he does when he’s thirsty. He gave me a “duh” look and said, “Get something to drink.” I said it’s not always that simple. I told him I might feel thirsty and think, “I should go to the kitchen and get some water.” Then, I might imagine rising from a chair, walking to another room, getting a glass, and turning on the f...

At one of Maine’s most popular ski resorts, Sunday River, craft beer is not just an item on the menu. It’s as much of a draw to the area as the well-groomed slopes.
When you think about Maine cuisine, lobsters, red snapper hot dogs, and blueberries come to mind. But what should you wash it all down with? Maine’s thriving craft beer industry might have a suggestion or two.
Not only has Portland been named the second-best city in the country for beer drinkers the last two years by Smart Asset, ...

When life gets crazy, some people retreat into their running. Others take the opposite approach—they put running on the back burner to devote all their time and mental energy to the current crisis. New research on exercise and stress is firmly in favor of the first camp. It found that staying active during work crunches, family emergencies, relationship troubles, and the like will help you experience the stressors less severely and survive the situation in better physical and mental health.
R...

Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and other best-selling nonfiction books, ran 5:03 at Sunday's Fifth Avenue Mile in New York. It was his third consecutive appearance at the race.
Gladwell, 53, placed ninth in the men's 50-54 age group, which was won by Gerald O'Hara in 4:46. According to race organizers New York Road Runners, Gladwell's time is the equivalent of a man in his 20s or early 30s running 4:21.
Gladwell ran 4:54 at last year's Fifth Avenue Mile. But perhaps his running...

It is not necessarily easy to become a lifelong runner, but it can be simple. No other sport has lower entry barriers for the average person. That is not to ignore that many people find it difficult to stick with a running programme, or that from the outside, the sport's most visible gatherings, road races, can look intimidating. But in most places around the world, being able to call yourself a runner is more a matter of motivation than economics, opportunities, or infrastructure.
"Running i...

At-a-glance do-at-home tips to improve health and fitness.

At 7 a.m. in Iten, Kenya, overladen trucks and tractors putter down rutted dirt roads. Cattle and sheep roam randomly, some followed by 5-year-old boys in Simpsons T-shirts. Navigating around this chaos are groups of four, five, and eight runners, all borderline skeletal by American standards and wearing tights and jackets despite the warm weather. Under the heavy clothing, I can make out ideal frames for distance running—short torsos, high waists, narrow hips, inverted-teardrop thighs, nearl...

Running, in essence, is the same for everybody. Whether running for fitness or toward an ultramarathon finish line, as long as you’re putting one foot in front of the other, you’re accomplishing something. But it’s also safe to say that the more you run, the more you notice the odd tendencies of other runners—or yourself—while out on the road or trails. Check out these 16 quirky runner types to see where you or your running pals may fit in.
Always up for a run—as long as it’s 72 degrees and s...

If you live in New England, you already know that Mt. Washington Valley in New Hampshire is a skier’s paradise. There’s a reason why USA Today named North Conway “No. 1 Ski Town in North America” just last fall.
But what if you don’t ski?
No problem. The list of non-skiing activities is endless. For proof, just check out the U.S.A. Olympic team, where New Hampshire athletes who grew up in the Granite State are competing in cross-country skiing (Patrick Caldwell), biathlon (Sean Doherty), hock...

On a dewy September morning, Bernd Heinrich stops walking when he sees a spider web suspended between two bushes. "Nobody knows how they do this," Heinrich says.
Heinrich continues up the path past his cabin in the mountains of western Maine. He wears the green Carhartt work pants he had on yesterday, a running-camp shirt tucked into the pants, which are belted, and running shoes. His hair is multidirectional, his stride long, quick and powerful.
He stops and squats when he comes to a woodchu...